


It's Good to Talk

by OddmentsandTweaks



Series: A Treasured Collection [5]
Category: Night at the Museum (2006 2009)
Genre: Ahk can be long suffering too, Ahk can curse spectacularly, Ahk is good at Math, Brotherly Bonding, But lots of Nicky and Ahk being brotherly!, Dead Languages, F/M, Feels, Fluff, Gen, Languages and Linguistics, Larry is long suffering, Museum as a family, Nicky learns from the best, One case of actual swearing/cursing, Probable butchering of mathematics-sorry everyone., Sacagawea is amused, Sorry!, Tickling, Very little baby antics in this one, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-19 23:34:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3628419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OddmentsandTweaks/pseuds/OddmentsandTweaks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ahk helps Nicky with his homework and discovers the boy has a hidden talent...</p>
<p>A story in which Ahkmenrah is good at maths and cursing, Nicky learns from the best and most things can be solved by ticking!</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Good to Talk

**Author's Note:**

> This one is a little bit light on baby antics-sorry! I hope you’ll all forgive me! There's lots of brotherly feels instead.  
> There is one case of cursing in this chapter-so young eyes be warned...
> 
> The italics rule still applies, anything written in italics that is surrounded by speechmarks means the characters are speaking their own language rather than English.

****

Nicky was sat doing his homework at the main desk, it was Math and English tonight so Ahk was sat with him ready to help if the boy got stuck, the original conversation that had led to this set up had been very entertaining. He remembered the astonishment on the boy’s face.

“You can do math?”

“Of course I can.” Ahk felt quite affronted at the surprise in the child’s voice. He was no idiot.

“But you’re 4000 years old! This is modern math!”

“I can assure you Nicky I am quite proficient.”

“You can’t be,” The boy insisted, “it’s all changed!”

Ahk was having none of it. Mathematical principles were absolute. “You can call the values different things but the way in which you attain them remained the same. There was only ever a single right answer. Have the way in which perimeters or volume are measured altered? Are depth and circumference still required?”

“Um, well, yeah.” Begrudged Nicky.

“Then I can help you.” He made it sound like a royal decree.

“But how?” Nicky was entirely unconvinced.

“Nicky, my people built the pyramids without the use of your calculation devices.”

“They’re called calculators Ahk,” the boy huffed.

“Whatever,” the pharaoh dismissed, “they calculated without the help of such technological devices AND they’re still standing.”

“Yeah but-”

“Would you rather Attila help you?”

“NO! I mean, not really,” That would probably end in him having to trying to explain why his math book had a sword through it.  Maybe if he just handed the problem sheet to Ahk it would scare him off. If was bad enough not being good at Math but to be bugged with offers of out-of-date help was not what he wanted. “Fine. If you’re so sure then look at these.”

He thrust a piece of paper full of problems and a pencil at Ahk. “I’m gonna get my geography book from the main desk.”

Ahk hadn’t had chance to really use his lessons in years. Skimming over the questions quickly he set to work.

***

“There.”

“What?” Nicky looked blankly at the pharaoh as he walked back into the office with his retrieved text book.

“I trust they meet your expectations.” Ahk raised a haughty eyebrow.

There in Nicky’s hand was his completed math homework.  He checked them over. They all looked right. As much as he could tell anyway.  “Whoa, dude, that’s awesome! You must have done these at warp speed!”

“I take it you mean fast?” Ahk was trying to hide the small smile that was creeping across his face at the child’s reaction.

“Huh? Oh yeah, warp’s a thing from Star Trek, we have to see that at some point, you’ll love it. But yeah, thanks dude I owe you.” Nicky turned to put the sheet away.

“Not so fast.”

Larry stood in the doorway.

“Nicolas William Daley. Are you cheating on your math homework by getting an Egyptian Pharaoh to do it for you?”

“Ahk’s good at math.” He began realising how bad that sounded, “He was showing me how to do it.”

“Are you sure? Because you looked an awful lot like someone who’s just gotten out of doing something they didn’t want to.” In fact Nicky was wearing his, ‘I’ve been busted face’ Larry was interested to see how long he lasted before he cracked.

“No. Ahk just made it make sense for me.”

Ahk raised his eyebrow at the child, annoyed at having been so easily duped by the boy but unwilling to expose the lie to his father. He could exact his own revenge in due course.

“Nicky is right Larry, we were in the middle of discussing the answers and why they were correct. Is there anything you need me for because I think we have at least another hour on this, Nicky is rather slow.”

“Hey!”

“But he has potential.” Smiled the Pharaoh innocently.

“If you can actually tutor him to improve his grade then he’s all yours.”

“Excellent.”

Nicky sighed in defeat.

Once the night guard had left them Nicky rounded on Ahk.

“Thanks a bunch!”

Ahk was unperturbed, “well it was that or have me agree with your father that you WERE cheating!”

“I was not!”

Ahk raised his eyebrow

Nicky deflated, “Okay, a bit. But it’s HARD!”

“That’s why you should practice.”

“Urgh! You are such a grown up sometimes, you know that?”

Ahk gasped and gripped his chest, “Really? It’s like I was the ruler of a civilization or something.”

Nicky stuck his tongue out at him.

 He grinned at the sulking child. “Listen, this will help you for the future.  If we go through these questions now and you can understand the answers we can go for a ride on Rexy. Deal?”

Nicky couldn’t help perking up at the prospect, Rexy was always willing to go faster with Ahk on his back.

“Deal.”

“Good. Now question one…”

Despite Nicky’s grumbles he’d jumped from a C grade to a B+ in the few weeks Ahk had been helping him. He made it fun too, often taking the lessons to the wider museum to try and get a visual representation of the problem at hand. Nicky wouldn’t ever admit it but he was beginning to enjoy his lessons with Ahk almost as much as he did just goofing around with him.

 Tonight though, he was trying to tackle the worksheet on his own to see how far he could get. It was going well so far, there was this one that wasn’t making sense. He’d tried a few times now, but this approach must be the correct one…

Ahk was on the opposite side of the desk happily reading one of the many book’s he’d been loaned by Nicky. He was enjoying this new one immensely, full of adventure and a quest to save the world, he felt a little kinship with the man from Gondor, the weight of duty heavy on his shoulders. In his more fanciful moments he would have been tempted by the life of Strider, to avoid all, but as it was proving here fate has a way of catching you. He was enjoying the Halflings, their spirit was their strength, the younger ones reminded him a little of Nicky, always looking for fun whatever the circumstances-

_“SON OF A MONKEY WHORE!”_

Ahk dropped the book.

He wheeled round on the annoyed child who was furiously erasing an answer.

“WHAT?! Where did you learn that?!”

“What?” Nicky looked up, oblivious.

“That-That phrase?” Trying and failing to hide his shock.

“You, of course.” Answered Nicky matter-of-factly

“What?! I don’t say that!” Well actually, if he was honest…

“You do if Dexter’s being a pain or something’s up with the tablet or someone steps on your cloak or-”

“Yes! Thank you!” He cut Nicky off before he could elaborate further. He had no idea the boy had been listening. His stomach dropped. What else had he picked up? Larry was going to kill him.

“What’s it mean?” Nicky was looking rather more interested in Ahk’s reaction now than his troublesome homework.

“Never you mind.”

“It’s cursing isn’t it?” the boy flashed him a mischievous smile

“Well…I…no, it’s not.”

Ahk was waaay too slow on this, not having much practice at wrangling younger people.

Nicky crowed with delight, “IT IS! Awesome!” he beamed, “Can you teach me more?”

“Certainly Not!” Larry was definitely going to kill him. He’d corrupted his only child.

“Aww, but it’s really useful for school when no one knows what you’re saying!”

Ahk was horrified, “You cannot repeat that at school!”

“But-”

“No! What else have you heard me say?”

“I-”

“Come on Nicky!” He had to know how much damage he’d unwittingly done.

“Fine! You only say these, “ _For the love of Ra!” “Little Brother” “Little Jewel” “Why am I surrounded by idiots?” “Ra give me strength!” “Beloved Ka-Sister,” “You will be the death of me” “You’re actually insane!” “Out of my way peasants!” “I swear to Ra I am this close…”  “I love you brother of my heart”._

Ahk felt the breath catch in his chest _“Well I’ll be the son of scarab.”_ He did say all of those things. Unfortunately, he only resorted to Egyptian when either feeling sentimental or deeply annoyed.

“Sorry, it’s just you say stuff in Egyptian all the time.”

“I do not!”

“You do to!” Nicky argued, he pointed at the pharaoh indignantly. “You did just now! And you do especially when Dexter or Attila are being crazy!”

“I-Fine!” He paused, looking over the child, clearly considering something, “even if I do say those things a lot you saying them perfectly.”

“You what? What perfectly?”

“You speak those Egyptian phrases perfectly, the accent and emphasis, as though you were born to it.”

“Well duh,” Nicky shrugged, “I was copying you, YOU were born to it!”

“But most people get things wrong,” pressed Ahk, “emphasise the wrong part of the word or something else.”

“But you don’t! I was just being a parrot.”

“No, Nicky, you don’t understand, I think you may have an ear for languages.”

“Pfft, nope!” The child snorted, “I don’t even learn them in school, not till junior high.”

“Well” Ahk’s chest puffed in irritation, “that is criminal in itself. I learned other languages at my teachers and parents knee.”

“Is that why you’re so good?”

“Possibly, but I have had rather longer to practice.”

“Dude, you figured out English, that’s like, super hard to learn if it’s not your first language.”

“A lot of it is about context once you’ve got the basics, I did read a dictionary or two as you call them in Cambridge, and it improved my vocabulary immensely.”

“I knew it!” Cackled Nicky.

“Knew what?”

“That there had to be a reason by you sounded like your could be in mom’s favourite TV show!”

“What?” Ahk looked entirely confused.

“You sound like the guys from Downton Abbey, it’s a show about posh British people.”

“I-”Ahk flushed, "posh British people?" He’d have to come back to that “that’s beside the point, here, can you recall any of the other language phrases our friends use?”

“Not really, I don’t listen to them as much and Attila is usually yelling so it’s harder to pick up.”

“Just try anything.” He caught the stare Nicky was giving him, “What?”

“You’re being weird.”

“Well forgive me for having an interest in your talents.” Ahk sniffed, getting huffy, “In future I shan’t bother.” He crossed his arms.

Nicky huffed back. “Alright then, don’t get your cloak in a twist.” He took a deep breath; 

“ _Rip them to bloody rags!’ Slay the ball! “Fear not little one Attila has you” “child you shall one day grow great and mighty.”_ _“Where in the pit of hell is the bird room?!” “You, maiden, are the fairest of the flat-lands.” “Never change my cowboy.” “You have the bluest eyes I have even seen Viking”_

Ahk was astonished. He didn’t understand the last four things Nicky had said, clearly not being fluent enough yet though Nicky clearly had no idea what any of it had meant but he had recalled perfectly. It was rather touching to hear what Attila said to Nicky on occasion too. That decided it.  

“You have a gift Nicky.”

“What?”

“You heard me, you have a gift.”

“No I don’t! It’s you guys that are special, not me, I’m just in the 4th grade.”

Ahk fixed Nicky with a serious gaze.

The boy looked uncomfortable, “what?”

“Wherever did you get that idea?”

“Well it’s obvious.”

“Not to me,” Ahk’s eyes were practically glowing with insistence, “care to explain?”

The boy sighed, “Look, you’re all here because you did awesome stuff, you were really important people and you’re here because you’re important enough to be remembered.” The boy shrugged, “I’m just ordinary.”

Ahk’s heart broke ever so slightly.

“Nicky, l want you to listen very carefully to me,” he was using what Larry called the ‘serious pharaoh’ voice, “Never underestimate yourself. And don’t compare yourself to other people, if you do you’ll never be happy with yourself. Trust me.”

Nicky wasn’t sure when he reflected on Ahk words later on whether it was the look in his eyes or the tone of his voice but he found himself sitting up straighter to listen to the next words that Ahk spoke.

“You have an incredible opportunity here to learn from some of the best and well known people the world has ever produced. It takes years to discover all of yourself, I realise I am still learning and I am over 4000 years old.”

“I, I really?” Nicky was stunned. He suspected Ahk really did, in fact, know everything.

“Of course, I spent too long worrying about pleasing my father, about being as good a pharaoh as him. In the end it does not matter, I know I did the best I could when I was on the throne and that’s the important thing. You might not have been born to rule Nicky but that doesn’t mean you can’t go on and achieve great things. I am the only person here who is from a royal line, everyone else here gained their notoriety by working hard and achieving something special.”

Nicky didn’t like the way Ahk excluded himself from the list of achievements, did he really not count himself?  “You were awesome too though! If you were an awful king history wouldn’t have remembered you or at least, they’d have written all about how bad you were and they don’t!”

“Thank you.” He smiled, touched at the boy’s insistence, “And you, you have a gift for language it seems, so are you going to make use of it? It will aid you in your adult life as well if you become proficient; languages are keys to open doors in life.”

“How can I? I mean, no offence, but ancient Egyptian isn’t exactly an everyday language.” 

Ahk snorted, “None taken. I can teach you my language if you are willing, it will be useful if you choose to study my culture when you grow up and,” Ahk quirked his eyebrow, “we may converse without the others listening.”

Now THAT sounded like fun. Ahk read the look on Nicky’s face and grinned.

“And of course I am sure we can ask the others if they might share as well. I know there are several whom would most likely enjoy teaching you.”

“Like who?”

Ahk raised an eyebrow in surprise, “well, Sacagawea for one.”

“But she speaks English!”

“And Shoshone and French.”

“French?!”

It was Ahk turn to look surprised, “Did you never wonder why Jean-Baptiste is called so?”

“I just figured it was a popular name back then.”

“You need open your eyes more!”

“And you need to stop being so nosy!”

Ahk mock-huffed , “As a ruler, I need to know about my people. Just,” There was suddenly an evil glint in Ahk’s eye, “I like I know for a fact you are particularly ticklish right here!” With that Ahk launched himself at the child’s ribs, Nicky shrieking with laughter as they both fell to the floor .

“Now the first thing you need to learn is the word for tickling in Egyptian is ‘ _tickling.”_

“This is not how you’re supposed to teach!” Nicky shrieked between giggles

“I’ll stop if you can tell me it in Egyptian.”

_“TICKLING!”_

Ahk laughed and let the boy go. “Very good! An excellent start.”

Nicky sat up and pushed the pharaoh playfully, “you are such a dork!”

“But you know the word now.”

“I, _tickling_ , huh, so I do.” The boy grinned, his own evil spark twinkling, “Now what’s the phrase for ‘Nicky, get off my feet?’” Ahk eyes went wide as the boy leapt on the Pharaoh. 

Sacagawea, alerted by the cries headed to the balcony, Jean-Baptiste cooing curiously in her arms. She smiled at the sight of the two boys wrestling, howling with laughter and shouting in English and Egyptian. She smiled to herself then shook her head and sighed down to her child, “Brothers”

***

**Epilogue**

Ahk made good on his promise and expanded their lessons to include languages.  With the help from the other exhibits by the time Nicky graduated high school he was fluent in several languages, English, Ancient Egyptian, French, Shoshone, Italian, Dutch and Hun, with conversational Latin, Inuit, Mandarin and Norse. His skills had helped them out hugely over the years and set him up as a ready traveller into the outside world.

**Author's Note:**

> So another chapter! Hurrah! I love Ahk and Nicky and will take any shameless opportunity of them having a brotherly moment. Just as a note, I know Downton Abbey wouldn’t technically be on yet (this is just after the first film so we’re still in 2006/7) but I couldn’t think of anything else to use that reflected Ahk’s accent-Doctor Who at this point had Christopher ‘lots of planets have a north’ Eccleston so that doesn’t work! :P I may think too much about these things…  
> Thank you again for reading! Please let me know what you think!


End file.
